Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“If you still want me to go, then I will.”
She stilled, gazing at him unblinkingly, but she did not say a thing.
He decided to take that as a yes and took a deep breath. Making a speech in front of millions of people, in front of royalty and world leaders – all of it was a piece of cake compared to this.
Those talks had not promised anything he wanted more than life itself. But this conversation – no, this revelation of his – if it did not work, Damen felt like what he’d lose was worth more than his life.
Gazing at Mairi’s sweet beautiful face, seeing the way her dark brown eyes were filled with misery she was doing her best to conceal and the way her lips were trembling in an effort to control the tears—-
After so many years of only believing in himself, of thinking that he could only trust himself, Damen decided to take a leap of faith. He decided to believe that, against all odds Mairi Tanner - a girl whose company he enjoyed for only several days – was indeed in love with him.
And because she was, he owed it to her to do this much.
“Mairi.”
His voice was unsteady, so unlike the Greek billionaire she once knew and fell in love with.
“You told me where you were coming from and...I hurt you by not believing you were in love with me.” Damen waited her to correct him – to tell him with her naïve but adorable honesty that she was still in love with Damen.
But she did not.
His heart hammered with fear that he was too late, that Ioniko Vlahos had indeed made his move already and there was no one for him to go back to.
Forcing himself to go on even as hopelessness and despair threatened to make Damen falter, he said, “This time, I want to tell you where I’m coming from...and if you understand why I did what I did then I want you...”
She had told herself she would not let herself believe in anything he said. She had told herself she would not let herself weaken, but the moment she saw that haunted look on Damen’s face, she knew it was no use denying the truth – she still loved him.
“What, Damen?” she whispered shakily. “What do you want me to do?”
Damen closed his eyes. “I want...I’m begging you to teach me to believe that you love me.”
Chapter 7
To trust a Greek billionaire, you must remember that doing so is a risk in itself.
“SO I’M WRITING A BOOK,” Mairi lied one week later over the phone to her aunts.
“Oooooooh,” Aunt Norah exclaimed, her tone impressed.
“What’s it about?” Aunt Vilma asked.
“Well, a romance, sort of like my own Harlequin,” Mairi said vaguely, crossing her fingers as she did. “And I’m stuck with my plot. Coz you see, there’s this girl, and her, err, Greek billionaire doesn’t believe in love. He’s got issues—-”
“You’re on the right track,” Aunt Vilma said approvingly.
“They always do,” Aunt Norah added knowingly.
“—-and well, bottom line, he doesn’t believe in love. So when she said she was in love with him, he didn’t believe her at first. But in the end, he’s willing to try.”
“It’s getting exciting,” Aunt Norah remarked.
“I’m glad you think so. Because here’s where I’m stuck – Da -—the guy, I mean, he wants to take things slowly between them. He wants to give love a try, but he wants to keep himself protected and he doesn’t want her hurt either.”
Aunt Vilma exclaimed crossly, “Oh, for the love of God, just tell us what the catch is!”
“He thinks they should continue dating other people while they explore their feelings for each other.”
Silence.
Mairi asked nervously, “Bad idea?”
They spoke at the same time.
“It’s a great idea,” Aunt Vilma raved. “What a unique but beautiful twist, darling! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Greek billionaire that stupid—-”
Mairi winced at the word.
“—-in all the Harlequin novels we’ve read.”
Aunt Norah added musingly, “I think she should say ‘yes’. It would make an interesting story.”
“I’m glad you think it’s interesting, but do you think this kind of, umm, twist will lead to a happily ever after?”
“Oh, but of course darling. As long as they love each other, there will always be a happy ending. Silly you for asking something that simple.”
When she put the phone down ten minutes later, Mairi squared her shoulders as she switched her car’s engine off and got out of the car. The tribe has spoken, she told herself as she made her way to the restaurant and provided her name to the maître d’. She was going to—-
“Mairi Tanner?”
Blinking at the sound of her name, she backtracked slowly, blushing as she realized she had totally walked past the man she was supposed to be watching out for.